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The rebuilt “Idea House,” designed by Holly Freres and David Horning of JHL design. The driveway is permeable to encourage good drainage: crushed granite gravel is installed over a stabilization mat. James Hardie exterior siding is painted in Benjamin Moore ‘White Dove,’ with reclaimed wood used for the entry and garage.

A steel staircase connects the living room to the new second story while acting as a functional sculpture in the space. Cameron repurposed the timber paneling from another building site.

Note Mansawataphaiboon cooks something up.

The Altadena residence offers convenient access to both Downtown L.A. and Pasadena.

With three bedrooms including one flex space with its own separate entrance and four bathrooms spanning over 2,200 square feet (or 204 square meters, it is Swedish, after all), this home is a true jewel of the lively Echo Park neighborhood.

Sited for maximum privacy and views within the Parc Andreas neighborhood of South Palm Springs, the newly built residence sits on a corner lot with only one adjacent neighbor.

The renovated kitchen is open, airy, and connected to the rest of the main level. Plum Projects used Bedrosians Magnifica Luxe polished white porcelain for the island, countertops, and backsplash. The black upper cabinets are made from Richlite: a durable, sustainable material made from recycled paper.

The office enclosure is made from white oak, with slats crafted in Plum Projects' studio workshop.

Lead architect, Tom Lenchek, opted for simple forms and materials that direct attention outwards, towards the cabin's natural surroundings.

A three-story mahogany screen partially veils the backyard retreat designed by Flavin Architects for Ed and Kathy Kelly in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Incorporating a renovated garage, it includes both closed and open spaces and a potted rooftop garden. The garage door is by Garaga and the Exotic Red paint is from Benjamin Moore.

The modern structure is in striking contrast to the area’s predominantly traditional homes, including the Kellys’ own Dutch Colonial.

The screen stops short of the frame’s end. “We wanted to peel it back, so you could see the steel beneath,” says Flavin.

"Like his fashion, Kenzo conceived his house as an eclectic convergence of East and West, with a Zen master’s reverence for nature,

The cladding is a combination of galvanized iron panels and self-cleaning plaster.

Floating steel siding shields the home from the elements.

Architect Johan Sundberg looked to Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma for inspiration for the design of a holiday home in southern Sweden. "We call it the Katsura typology, but that's probably sacrilegious," he says. The eaves of the gently sloped hipped roof extend generously in all directions, turning the deck into a covered retreat that’s part veranda, part engawa, the Japanese version of a porch.

In Melbourne, Australia, a smart addition transforms a backyard shed into a guest suite for visiting parents, while wrapping the two living volumes around a central courtyard. The minimalist kitchen, although decidedly modern, offers a subtle reference to the "retro suburbia